1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to soft-pack medication accessing, and more particularly, is directed to packaging which enables a user to at least partially open a softpack of medication. By softpack is meant a plastic and/or foil or other "push the pill or capsule out" type of medication inner package commonly known as "blisterpacks". Thus, the present invention is directed to a container for softpacks of medication with individual dosage opening capabilities.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Various inner packaging of medications have evolved over the past couple of decades which involves individual dosages arranged so as to be separated from one another within a blisterpack, a paperpack, a metal/foil ! pack or a pack which uses a combination of materials. These may enclose powder, pills, capsules or even liquid caps or other medication dosage collections. Thus, while the application herein refers to "softpacks" or "blisterpacks" such terms should be read herein so as to include any type of packaging which has more than a flat shape for enclosure of individual medication dosages for easy, push out usage.
As these various forms of packaging evolved, some by mere design were difficult to open and others were intentionally made more difficult to open in order to prevent or discourage small children from easily pushing pills out of the blisterpacks. These packs sometimes became very difficult for the average person to open and even discouraged the purchase of over-the-counter medications packaged in this manner. Further, even those that were relatively easy for the average adult to open, were difficult for handicapped, senior citizens and people with arthritis and other hand impediments. As a result, some developments in the past decade have led to packaging with dispensing capabilities.
Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,649 issued to Louis Brodsky and assigned to E. R. Squibb and Sons, Inc. describes a dispensing package which includes a blisterpack and cover with an outer shell wherein the blisterpack has multiple pockets for receiving medications and the outer shell has means for sealing the cover around each pocket of the blisterpack. In one embodiment the outer shell has a rim which includes studs which align with the blisterpack which includes cut-outs so that when it is closed, it affords easier removal of individual medication by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,054, issued to Robert E. Newell and Robert A. Fitzsimmons and assigned to Glaxo Group Limited, describes a package for administering medicine to patients which includes a circular carrier disk which has a puncture means for removing individual medication dosages from circular blisterpacks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,125, issued to Thomas M. Rebne and David Esslinger and assigned to Marion Marrell Dow, inc. describes a dispensing container which includes means for pushing individual pills or groups of pills from a blisterpack within the dispensing container. The method involves removal of individual dosages from the container without removing the blisterpack from the container. While this system relies upon puncturing the blisterpack and pushing the pills out, there is no child resistant aspect to it as shown in the present invention. In other words, a user does not remove a blisterpack and strategically place it within a puncture mechanism as in the present invention in order to remove medication from the blisterpack.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,984 issued on May 5, 1992 to Jarome M. Romick, describes a unit dosage medication handling and dispensing system. These devices receive blisterpacks and hold them in place and present open bottoms so that medications may be pushed through the blisterpack bottom and through the openings in the bottom of the device.
Not withstanding the stated prior art, it is believed that the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious as the present invention specifically accomplishes the dual purpose of enabling a user to more easily puncture and remove medication from a blisterpack while making it difficult for a child to do so by having a remote puncturing mechanism which requires a blisterpack to be removed from the container and properly inserted and then further requires proper usage of the device itself for puncture of the blisterpack and subsequent removal of the medication.